The Locket
by Smamurai
Summary: A young Anders and Hawke meet by chance when the apostate is running from Templars in Lothering. It's love at first snark!


This story is going to be updated rather slowly because I don't have a stable internet source at the moment, but I have the entire story planned out! :] Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Anders. Bioware does. Bastards!

**Chapter One**

_Fear and Loathing in... Lothering_

Lothering. That was where his current escape attempt found him. The name of the place sounded too close to "loathing" to him. And he could understand why. While peaceful, the place just seemed tiny and awkward. And full of Templars.

This was the last place that a teenage Circle Mage escapee should have run to. Leave it to him to stumble into his worst nightmare.

He tried to look as non-threatening and normal as possible. The shining gold earring in his right ear didn't help any, but it was the thought that counted. The distinct clank of templar armor followed behind him as he made a beeline for the local tavern.

If I submerse myself in the stench of local drunkards, I might fit in better, he thought as he smiled wryly.

Unfortunately, a couple of loud and rather idiotic sounding templars started to head in the same direction. Before he could make a move to escape, a hand snatched at his and yanked him into the darkness beside the building. Said hand covered his mouth as the person it belonged to pressed him flush against the wall.

There was a loud laugh to his right. The templars.

"So they keep chasing this kid down, huh?" the first templar said in a slurred voice. Already drunk and heading to the bar to get more drunk. Awesome.

"Yup. He keeps escaping apparently. He's a slick little twit from what Amalia said. She's been looking all over for him and the phylactery brought her here of all places," the second templar laughed.

Shit. They're talking about me. I need to get the hell out of here, Anders thought. But that was a bit of a problem thanks to whoever had him pinned.

The mage tried to look at whose hand was shutting him up. It was a bit too dark for him to make out a face, but from the fabulous feel of the ample bosom pressed against his chest, he could easily deduce that he was being manhandled by a woman. Hopefully this mysterious female was good-looking. He needed to practice his seduction a bit more after that secluded journey to Lothering and who could resist a woman that liked to throw men against walls and shut them up? Not he, that was for sure.

"Boy don't sound too slick to me. There's a templar for every townsfolk here," the first templar spoke to the second as he hiccupped. "Maker. We there yet? I feel like we been walkin' forever, Biggs."

"You're not supposed to drink on the job, Wedge," the second templar sounded pretty pissed at his companion. "That's why we're going now. Our shift's over-"

The two continued to argue until the tavern's door closed behind them.

The pressure on Anders' mouth was released as the girl let him go and stepped back a pace. There was just enough light for him to make out a face now. His breath caught in his chest. She was definitely good-looking and around his age, not that he minded an older woman. Cougars had a special place in his heart. Which was conveniently located in his pants.

"You-" he began, but was promptly cut off.

With a lightning fast movement that he barely caught, the girl stabbed a dagger right through the top of his robes, effectively pinning him to the side of the tavern by his shoulder.

"You're not particularly smart, are you?" the girl asked, her hands on her hips as if she hadn't moved at all.

All he could do was blink at her. Talk about audacious. With her flailing dark pigtails of vengeance. Crazy pigtail girl didn't even know him! Plus she was wielding sharp, pointy things! Insanity, pigtails and stabby things did not mix. That was a horrible combination.

"Excuse me?" he asked, totally confused as he tried to reach for the dagger embedded in his robes. One icy glare from her stopped him in his tracks, his hands raised up in apology. "All right. Don't touch the dagger. Got it."

She pointed to the staff strapped to his back. "You're a mage, aren't you?"

Shit. He started to laugh. It was a very uncomfortable, awkward laugh. "What are you talking about? This? My walking stick. Are you daft?"

"Are you daft?" the girl rolled her eyes. "Look. I know a mage when I see one. First of all, that's a Circle staff. Second of all, you guys even feel different. Even if you didn't have the staff, I could've picked you out of a crowd. Believe me, I would know. And let me tell you, this place is not safe for you right now. Lothering is full of Templars for the next month or two." She seemed to get exasperated all of a sudden. With a quick yank, the dagger was pulled out of the wood and tucked safely into the side of her boot. "Come with me. We'll talk more in a safe place."

She took his hand in hers and started to run toward the woods that outlined the tiny village. He nearly tripped over his robes at first. Damn pigtailed bastard was fast. Mages were not supposed to run this quickly! Robes were not made for sprinting. Nice arse and extremely fast angry girl was causing him problems already. He shook his head.

This is not the time to stare at her rear unless you would like to get a mouthful of dirt when you fall face first, he scowled. It was such a pity. For her rear was one to write songs about.

After what seemed like forever, the girl stopped abruptly. He flew into the back of her, unprepared for the sudden stop, forcing the both of them to tumble to the ground.

"Ow," he said as he tried to figure out what was up and what was down.

Anders went to push up off the ground, but his hand met something squishy instead. Round and plump. Firm. He gave it a squeeze and the girl yelped. Well that was her ass. Oops.

The girl bucked him off of her and punched him in the gut, causing him to give a soft 'oof' of disapproval as his legs buckled.

"It's not my fault," he wheezed in pain. Damn that girl was strong. "It's too dark in this damn forest. I didn't know what I was grabbing." But I do seem to find my way to the goods every time. Glad I still got it.

"I try to help you and you grope me, you chauvinistic fuck!" she gave him a shove, her pretty face tinged red with embarrassment.

"Girls shouldn't say such words," Anders joked, laughing through his wheezes of breath. He liked this girl already. She was feisty.

The girl just looked him up and down before she pulled him up from the ground. "If you do it again, I won't hold back."

"Maker, you were holding back?" Anders just laughed harder.

"Come on," she said as she pushed him in front of her this time. "It's just up ahead."

"What is?" he asked, looking back at her.

If she heard him, she didn't show it. The two continued through the dark forest until they came upon a worn, dirt path. You had to look hard to even realize it was there. There was a cottage up ahead, tucked away in the safety of the woods. Close enough to Lothering to get supplies and far away enough from the Kocari Wilds to avoid the Chasind. It was a comfortably secluded place. The kind of place Anders dreamed of for all those years stuffed away in the Circle Tower.

"Josephine!" a man's voice called from up ahead.

A man appeared from the woods ahead of them, a stern look on his face.

"Papa," the girl behind him said as she ran up to the man and hopped up to give him a big hug.

The man's stoic face immediately broke out in a smile, laugh lines littering his face as he hugged his daughter. "Wandering out in the woods again, I take it?"

Josephine, he realized that was the girl's name now, nodded at her father. "I found this in town," she pointed to Anders.

Anders froze, suddenly scared of the man in front of him and he had no idea why.

The man looked him over for a moment and then his eyes locked onto the staff on his back. "Ah, you're from the Circle. I'm assuming that you escaped and are most likely being chased by templars as we speak."

Josephine nodded. "I heard the templars talking about him in town and that was when I spotted him. So I took him back here. I figured you could help him."

"How can you people possibly know this?" Anders asked, completely baffled. All staves looked the same to him and he could rarely pick one out from a walking staff. Maybe I really am daft, he wondered in fear. Dear maker. Save us all.

A big, calloused hand clapped him on the shoulder. "Because I had a staff just like it when I left the Circle," he said as he gave Anders a sympathetic look. "I'm Malcolm Hawke. This tomboy over here is my daughter, Jo." Malcolm ruffled the top of the girls hair, pulling strands of hair out of her neat braids in the process. Jo was not pleased. "Relax, kid. You're around like minds here. Come on. You're probably hungry. We'll talk more about your situation when we get inside."

He nudged Anders toward the cottage. The younger mage's mind was reeling. This was a real apostate before him. This man had successfully escaped from the Circle and obviously had a family of his own now. Pride swelled in his chest as he looked at the smiling man before him. This was what Anders wanted more than anything. The ability to live free of the Chantry's ridiculous rules. He wanted a normal life - was entitled to one just like everyone else.

This is what he could have if he fought hard enough. Hope swelled in his heart for the first time in a very long while.

This time it was the girl that gave him a nudge. She smiled at him now, rather than scowled. It lit her face up, made her more approachable. His heart flipped for a moment. Talk about awkward. He never got this worked up over anyone. It bugged him.

"You're safe," she said as she entwined her fingers with his once again and led him toward the front door.

And he believed her.


End file.
